South Africa’s labour market took another knock in the second quarter of 2025, with 80 000 jobs lost between March and June, according to the latest figures from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The decline, representing a 0.8% drop, brings the number of employed people in the country down to 10.5 million.
Job losses were concentrated in services, trade, manufacturing, construction, transport, and business sectors, while only a few industries recorded growth. Mining and electricity stood out as exceptions, with mining adding 6 000 jobs compared to the same period last year.
Full-time employment increased slightly, climbing by 0.5% from 9.41 million in the first quarter to 9.46 million in the second quarter. However, part-time work fell sharply, down by 36 000 jobs, or 3.2%, over the three months. The business and electricity industries were among the few to record modest gains in part-time employment.
Despite the overall rise in unemployment, earnings across the workforce saw an improvement. Gross earnings grew by R2.2 billion between March and June, reaching R986.8 billion. Basic salaries, wages, and earnings accounted for most of this growth, rising by R21.7 billion (2.5%) to R902.8 billion.
On a year-on-year basis, earnings were up by R31.2 billion (3.6%) compared to June 2024. However, bonuses paid to employees fell significantly, dropping 25% from R75 billion in March to R56 billion in June, largely due to seasonal factors.
Facebook Comments